Since we celebrate Easter this weekend and sailing 2021 starts in precisely100 days, am going to stop updating my blog site for a day. The new menu is already done, 2020 and 2017 have been populated, 2018 and 2019 will follow soon.
Giovanni Panini, Saint Paul Preaching on the Ruins, painted 1744 - except that the Roman Empire was not in Ruins at the time of Saint Paul
Will do a proper blog instead. One of the developments in history that always intrigued me was how fast Christianity spread through the Roman Empire. Within 50 years of Jesus' crucification, Christianity had reached Anatolia, then Greece, jumped over to Magna Graecia and Carthage and eventually found Rome. Before the four gospels were even completed, there were Christian communities as fare away as in Taranto and Syracuse (towns we visit this summer), Carthage, Naples and the Empire's capital. This is remarkable for an underground creed. In a legal sense, Christianity had the same status as any other religion. The Romans were quite tolerant as long as people sacrificed to the Emperor (divine since 1st century AD). Of course, Christians could not oblige since there is only one God. This refusal got them in troubles with the Roman authorities.
The spreading of Christianity follows the trading routes we follow this summer.
So how did a sort of "illegal" creed spread so quickly? There were not enough Apostles to spread it so fast in so many directions. Have not studied religion nor am I a trained priest but the following conclusions seem to be quite obvious.
A) Christianity spread along trading routes by land and sea. The only people who moved on these routes were either soldiers (for whom the roads were built) or merchants. There was no tourism at the time. People had no desire to explore a dangerous world. They loved staying put - even the elite did no travel except moving between summer and winter residence. Before the invention of telegraphs, news could not travel faster than people. And in the absence of a written gospel, the story of Jesus had to be communicated verbally. I thus assume soldiers and merchants were the early Christians who spread the news, proselytised and set up Christian groups wherever they went. Soldiers and merchants are egalitarian people. Rank and money does not count on the battlefield or in markets. You had to know your business and be open to innovation and ideas to survive. That Christianity would appeal to them is no surprise.
Crucification of Spartacus followers by Fyodor Bronnikov
B) The Roman Empire was not just the cultivating force we admire today when looking at its legacy, monuments and cultural achievements. It was also an Empire that continuously waged war, systematically plundered the wealth of other nations, brutally suppressed any rebellion, treated prisoners of war with utmost brutality - both the followers of Spartacus as well as the Jewish rebels 100 years later were crucified en mass - and enslaved entire towns and regions to break any resistance. The Roman Empire governed with fear and brutality. It is not a coincidence that Rome's main entertainment was watching gladiators killing each other. For ordinary people, life was brute and short. There was no hope for a better life.
C) In this context, the Christian message must have deeply resonated with Romans. Its five key messages were almost the opposite of the old Roman way of life:
- Love and peace could govern the world. There was no need for continued violence
- In the presence of God, all men are equal - there can not be slavery
- Men and women are equal - women are not the property of their husbands
- There is a good, eternal life after death and everybody leading a pious life has access to it
- Nobody needs to give expensive sacrifices to God - his son sacrifices himself for all of us
Portrait of a Roman Woman
Christianity offered a perspective of life where the individual mattered. This was a true first! Anybody could talk to God directly. One could prey anywhere - there was no need for temples, no need for priests. A communal dinner with bread and wine commemorating Jesus' sacrifice was all that was required. Am thus not surprised that women played a prominent role in early Christian communities and that these communities included both free people and slaves. There is an interesting paper on the role of women in early Christianity if you want to learn more :
Do not have the time to talk about how the Church revisited some of these positions once it became state religion in the 4th century. Am focussing on the history of early Christianity.
The story of Jesus, this message of hope, must have had mass appeal. Emperor Nero reigning from 54 to 68 AD (23 - 37 years after the crucification) would not have prosecuted the Christians had they been insignificant. He needed critical mass to shift blame from his own misdeeds to a group of innocent people. The Christians responded in their way - with peace and love - something not seen before. We know from the martyrs' trial confessions that they were not afraid of death - they were absolutely sure that God's reign on earth was imminent and would end Nero's tyranny.
Development of Christianity top to the 6th century AD
We already talked about the fact that the Christian creed is "portable" - God is always with us and nobody needs to learn about new Gods before arriving in a new place. It also created a community which welcomed foreigners from abroad. As a Christian, you were never alone. You always found a brother or sister who invited you to their homes and the holy communion
The Last Supper by Joan de Joanes (1510 - 1579)
Without the context of the Roman Empire, Christianity would not have become the religion it is today. Its history is neither linear nor always good. There are many dark spots. But making men equal and putting out a message of peace and love was a giant step in the development of mankind. This may be the essence of Easter today.